Toy building construction



.June M), i930. A. c. GILBERT L'g@ TOY BULDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l atto-L ms (gw-nemica o o o o o o o' f" f o o o o o o o o o o o o Jun@ w, i193@ A, C, GILBERT www@ TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May l0, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vide an improved form of strip or toy build- Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION i Application led' May 10, 1927. Serial No. 190,281.

This invention relates to toy building construction. and more particularly to toy construction ot` fairly light sheet metal which simulates in appearance the modern structural steel used in building bridges, skyscrapers, towers, cranes and the like. Furthermore, my invention pertains especially to toy building construction which can be used to build various models where a ,hollow box column or girder simulating aV commercial I* y v forms of nbeams which vthe strlp of'this 1nlattice girder is required.

One vof the primary objects of my invention is to provide an improvedform of strip. which is adapted to'be combinedwitlra plus v v A which various models and structures may be rality of like strips in such a mannerthat a very close simulation of box girders, .anglev beams and other shapes and structuresused in commercial steel work may'be'rea-dily lob-l tained. y v AnotherA object of this invention yto proing element, which is adaptedV to b'ejoin'ed y lengthwise to another similar one to form an extension thereof, and whereby an extended element may readily be provided of various lengths, as required by the toy model to be constructed.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of toy building element which is adapted to be associated with another element of similar form, whereby a sturdy, rigid angle piece or beam may readily be formed for use in various toyl models.

Still another object of the invention is to furnish an improved construction of hollow box girder or column. i

To these and other ends the invention oonsists inthe novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. I y

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. side view of a toy building elementor strip, embodying the features of this invention and from which toy structures may readilybe'formed;

' Fig. 2's aside elevation of a corner struc- 'nalsll and 15;'and vbetwe'enthe lntersection ture or angle piece or beam, formed by join-4 innig'. i,

' edge portions 18.

which is substa like that of 3,' together;

v Fig. 5 is a section on line 5%5 of Fig; 4,'and Figs. 6 to 1Q inclusive, illustrate different vention capable of 4formingin combination `with* the novel formof angle strip.v f

The toy building element or Astrip 1 0, from formed, comprises a stripl of relatively thin metal, preferably, ,punched ,from sheet metal, and is of av nov.el '-?Eorm of structure, bothv in contour and,9withrespecttothe disposition of openings andQpe'rforations fthere'in. A s .shown in full lines in ,Fig. 1 strip lOvis of elongatedy length, having Straightl parallel v`side edges- 11 andj 12. Intermediate the side ed gesl -11 and 12,' t-he'strip is out away to form a series ofopenings `13 and crossed di'agonals 14 and 15, which, in 'this instance, are at right angles tov each other and vsubstantiallyat an acute angle of 45 "to the longitudinal axis of thev strip. At4 each en d of the strip, a portion of the diagonale 14 vand 15 there disposed form an end edge of'somewhatirregular contour.'` edge portion 16 of the diagonall'l vextends from substantially the longitudinal center of the strip toward the stripedge 11,"' and` the edge portion 17 of the diagonallltl entends from the same point toward the stripedge 12. Ifhe edge portions 16 and 17 areinterruptedand joined to the edges 11 and 12 respectively, by arcuate end substantially V-shaped end edge is, therefore, formed, whereby when two strips 10 'are joined together, end for end,

as shown in dottedlin'es atthe right in Fig. v1, an opening will be'tormed therebetween,

Y ntiallyofthesaine shape as the openings '13. y l 1"' v l Triangular openings 19 between the diagothereof andthe-edges' 11'and'12,l are also protriangular opening is directed parallel with thev adj acent' strip edge 11 or 12, and the series of edges 20 are in alignment lengthwise ofthe strip 10. This arrangement provides a strip marginal portion 21 at each edge 11 or 12, and produces a visual effect of two separate narrow strips at each side of the strip 10. Each mar inal portion 21 is constituted by the materia between the edge 11 or 12, and the series of edges 20. The marginal portions 21 are joined together by the crossed diagonals 14-and 15. Two of the corners of the opening 13 are directed res ctively toward the edges 11 and 12, and) lie in line with the aligned edges 20, thus adding to the effect above noted, and separating the marginal portions 21 at intervals along the length of the strip 10. Extending as they do cornerwise acrossthe strip 10 from one marginal portion to the other, and being disposed between the diagonals 14 and 15, the openings 13 are relatively large, thereby permitting access through the stri at various points, whereby the same may e readily secured to another part. The openings 13 are preferably large enough to permit the insertion therebetween of the linger of the user, or a suitable tool, whereb the fastening parts or screws 30 may be hel'd while assembling the parts together.

A series of spaced apart perforations 22 are formed in each marginal ortion 21. The perforations 22 are prefera ly spaced apart equally the entire length of the strip, and at a amount equal to the spacin between perorations in other toy building elements. Preferably, the arrangement is such that certain of the erforations 22 in each marginal portion 21 ie in line with each of the diagonals 14 or 15. The perforations in each marginal portion are opposite and are preferably spaced a art transversely of the strip 10 an amount W ich is a multiple of the longitudinal spacing, with respect to the length o the strip, of the perforations- 22. The erforations 22, which are in line with the iagonals, are also preferabl spaced apart an amount which is a multiple of the longitudinal spacing ofthe erforations 22 in each mar 'nal portion, in t is instance, this spacing eing equal to the spacing between opposite per orations 22 in the marginal portions 21.

A perforation 23 is provided in the material at the intersection of the diagonals 14 and 15. Each of the perforations 23 are spaced apart lengthwise of the strip 10 an amount which is a multiple of the longitudinal spacing of the perforations 22 inthe marginal portions 21, and in this instance, this spacing is equal to the spacing between opposite perforations 22 in the marginal portions 21, and to the spacing between the perforations which are in line with the diagonals 14 and 15. The perforations 23, in this inilveasoo stance, are disposed with respect to the perforations 22 so as to be intermediate the perforations 22 which are in line with the diagonals and to also be intermediate the edges 11 and 12 of the strip.

An angle beam may be formed by the use of two strips 10, secured together at their ends, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 also illustrates a manner of joining the end of one strip intermediate the ends of another by using the intermediate erforations 23 in the latter and the end per orations22 in the former.

For use in combination with a strip 10 in the construction of certain models, an angle strip 24 is provided. The angle strip 24 is use in combination with the strip 10, to form a square girder or beam, as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, and is especially useful in this structure, due to the novel arrangements of features thereof. Each portion 25 and 26 of the strip 24, and which are at right angles to each other, is provided with a series of perforations 27, all of which are elongated in a direction transversel to the portion in which they are located. gy elongating both series of perforations 27, a girder, constructed by the use of these strips as connecting means for the strips 10, may be equally expanded laterally to permit the connection thereto of a similarly formed girder, by inserting the end of one into the expanded end of the other, whereby the coinleted extended girder will be substantialy sqkiliare in cross section along its entire lengt The angle strip 24 is also used in combination with the strip 10, as illustrated in Fi 6 to 10 inclusive, wherein the angle strip 24 is shown connected to the strip 1() in various ways to form beam sections, such as reverse angles or Z beams in Fi 6, double width I-beams in Fig. 7, channe beams in Fig. 8, T beams in Fig. 9, and single width -beams in Fig. 10. s

By the provision in a Construction toy of the novel form of stri 10, embodyin the features of this invention, it is possib e to construct an elongated strip by ]oining together a plurality of strips end to end, the combined strip being of fewer-parts than has heretofore been ossible by the use o other forms of strip o a length equal to those of this invention, and in which combined or elongated strip there will be a continuity of appearance throughout its length due to the formation of an openin between the ends of the connected strips w ich is substantially the same in form and size as those in the body of each strip, whereby the combined strip will a pear to be a one-piece structure. The eature of this invention which permits the construction above referred to, consists in the novel form provided at each end of the strip 10. In view of the above result made possible b this feature, a'savortions interconnected by a plurality of ing of material is obtained whereby the cost d of making the toy is reduced and due to the forming substantially square shaped openlarge opening formed by the V end shape of ings disposed intermediate the marginal poradjoining strips and in the body portion of tions, and forming at the ends of said strip each strip, the assembly of one strip to the a V-shaped end edge, said strip having a other is facilitated by permitting ready acdiagonally disposed series of perforations in cess through the strip of a users ,finger or of alignment with each of said diagonal pora tool to engage, for instance, the nut of the tions, the square shaped openings in said strip lo securing bolt 30. i being disposed cornerwise with respect to the From the above it will be seen that the marginal portions, the corners of each openprovision of a toy building element or strip, ing being disposed in alignment'at the inner constructed according to the above descripedge of each marginal portion, said strip havtion, permits the joining of one strip to a ing a longitudinally extending series of part having equally spaced and similarly a-rperforations in each of said marginal porranged perforations to form a variety of tions, certain of the erforations in the structures. It will be further noted that the diagonal series of per orations being disstructures formed will be ot rigidconstrucposed in and being one of the longitudinal tion while being composed of a minimum series of perforations in said marginal pornumber of parts, due to the form of the eletions, said strips being disposed at right annient used.- Various changes may be made gles to each other with the side edges oi' one lin the details of the construction without deextending along the side edges ot' another, and parting from the spirit of the invention and a strip 'of material right angular in cross secthe scope of the appended claims. tion extending along the adjacent side edges What I claim is: v of the first mentioned strips, said second l. A square hollow girder, comprising a mentioned sti-ip having a series of transverse` plurality of elongated strips of thin material, ly elongated perforations in each of its side having parallel side margnial portions iiiterportions, and means passing through the connected by a plurality of diagonal porperforations in the angle strip and through tions, said diagonal portions forming subthe openings in the marginal portions of the stantially` square-shaped openings disposed fiat strips to secure these strips together. intermediate the marginal portions and 3. A square hollow girder, comprising a forming at the ends of said strip a V-shaped plurality of elongated strips of thin maend edge, said strip having a diagonally dsterial having Cparallel side marginal portionsl posed series of perforations in alignment linterconiiecte byaplurality ofdiagonal por- With each of said diagonal portions, said tions, said diagonal portions forming sub'- diagonal portions also forming a series of stantially square-shaped openings disposed triangular openings adjacent each marginal intermediate the marginal ortions, and portion, the square-shaped o eniiigs in said forming at the ends of said stripsa V-shaped 40 strip being disposed cornerwise with respect end edge, the square-shaped openings in said to the marginal portions, a corner of each strips being disposed corner-wise with i'e-I square-shaped opening being disposed in spect to the marginal portion, a corner oi alignment with the inner edge of each inaI each square-shaped opening being disposed ginal rtion, said strip havin a long iin alignment with the inner edge of each inartudina ly extending series of per orations 1n ginal portion, said strips havin a longitueach of said marginal portions, certain of dinally extending series of per orations in the perforations in the diagonal series of each of said marginal portions and being disperforations being disposed in and being One posed at right angles to each other with the of the longitudinal series of perforations 1n side edges of one extending along the side l said marginal portions, said strips being disedges of another, and a strip of material right posed at right angles to each other, with the angular in cross section extending along the side edges of one extending along the side adjacent side edges of the first mentioned edges of another and a strip of material right vstrips, said second mentioned strip havinga angular in cross section extending along the series of transversely elongated openings in adjacent side edges with the rst mentioned each of its side portions, an'd means passing strips, said second mentioned strip havinga through the elongated openings 1 n the angle .series of transversely elongated openings in strip and throu h the openings in the mareach of its side portions, andvineans passing ginal portions o the flat strips to secure these h th llo ted o enin s in the an le stri stogether. i throng e e nga p g g Iii witness whereof, I have hereunto set stri and through the openings in the mary giniil portions of the Hat strips to secure^ my hand 13h15 6th dal' OfM, N21i-BE T these strips together. j ALFRED GI 2. In a construction toy, a structure comprising a. plurality of eloiglated strips of ina- 0 terial, each having `par el side marginal iagonal portions, said diagonal portions. 

